Second Stage Housing Project

“Miyoskamin”

Miyoskamin is a Cree word meaning “spring” or “groundbreaking”

The Miyoskamin Second Stage Housing program is currently Accepting applications. to learn about the program and request an application, please email info@miyoskamin.com

757 rue des Seigneurs, Montreal, Quebec

As an organization serving the urban Indigenous community for over 25 years, The Native Women’s Shelter of Montréal has served as a safe landing for Indigenous women and their children by providing a welcoming home with its mission and values rooted in traditional and holistic values, while emphasizing culturally competent care. While many of the women and children using the NWSM services are able to successfully move forward in their healing journey following their stay, a gap in services was observed for many. There are several challenges faced by women and their families when they complete their stay at NWSM which include, but are not limited to, housing discrimination, systemic discriminations, language barriers, education and employment. The realities that these families face require long term solutions and a solid foundation to heal and fulfill their hopes and dreams.

The 2019 Public Inquiry Commission on Relations between Indigenous Peoples and Certain Public Services in Québec (the Viens Commission, read the summary report here), found systemic barriers in the following areas: police services, justice, corrections, health and social services, and youth protection. These are consequences of a traumatic colonial legacy which include but are not limited to: stolen land and broken treaties, residential school systems, the 60’s scoop, and the smallpox epidemic brought to Turtle Island by settlers.

 

For some witnesses, the current approach to child placement is just part of a continuum of disappearance: like the residential school system and the illegal adoptions known as the “sixties scoop,” it contributes to the erasure and weakening of the Indigenous communities’ social fabric. Others went so far as to say that the youth protection system, with its high rate of placement among Indigenous children, is “the new residential school experience”. It should come as no surprise that, in this context, Indigenous communities believe the DYPs are there to “remove” children. In some Indigenous languages (such as Anishinaabe), the term “director of youth protection” is translated as “he or she who removes or takes children.”*

*Public Inquiry Commission on relations between Indigenous Peoples and certain public services in Québec: listening, reconciliation and progress - Summary Report (p. 87-88)

 

In partnership with Batir son Quartier and our funders, the NWSM is therefore excited to announce that with private, provincial and municipal support, we are able finally make this vision a reality and move together towards a common goal of better supporting this historically underserved population. Though the ongoing fundraising for operational costs continues, a prime downtown location has been secured and construction is well underway. This location allows for nearby access to many services and resources.

Supportive RESOURCES will include:

  • 23 Housing units for single Indigenous women, in addition to family units for women and their children.

  • Community Social pediatrics centre

  • Group workshops

  • Access to Legal Services

  • Individual sessions with professionals

 

FRONT Photo credit: CASA Architecture, projected results for Fall 2022

BACK Photo credit: CASA Architecture, projected results for Fall 2022

Saralikitaaq

Community Social Pediatrics Centre

Miyoskamin will provide an essential support: a social pediatric clinic which functions under the principles of The Dr. Julien Foundation and will be comprised of an experienced team of professionals including a Director and a Coordinator.

“The integrated social medicine approach developed by Dr. Julien focuses on the needs, interests and fundamental rights of children in vulnerable circumstances. It creates a protective circle around the child by leveraging the child’s strengths together with the resources of their family and the key people in their life and their community, in a collaborative way. Researchers agree that the ability to reach and identify children with the greatest needs is enhanced by geographical proximity combined with the availability of activities directly within the community and links with institutions.”*
*Clément et al., 2015

Community-based social pediatrics is receiving recognition at the national and international level and there are many clinics across Canada which function through this framework, not just in large cities like Toronto and Vancouver, but also in smaller communities like Saskatoon and Moncton. We have seen firsthand how a clinic under the model of the Dr. Julien Foundation has promise in Indigenous communities communities like Whapmagoostui and Manouane. There is an urgent need for this type of service in order to support urban Indigenous children who are underserved by the current system; the Dr. Julien Foundation estimates 30% of the children in the province of Quebec are underserved by the current system. The Viens Commission report confirms the reality that there continues to be a significant overrepresentation of Indigenous children in the Youth Protection system with a reporting rate that is 3.5 times higher for this population than for non-Indigenous children. Call for action No. 127 recommends “the increased availability and funding for local services intended for Indigenous children and their families, including crisis management services […] in urban environments” This clinic is an important asset and support to Indigenous families living in Montréal and this resource will be open to all Indigenous families on the island with the goal to expand services to the children of the Sud Ouest borough. The Native Women’s Shelter of Montréal is proud to be in partnership with the Dr. Julien Foundation and support children and their families in their healing journey for many years to come.

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